Daylighting solutions for domestic properties

Daylighting solutions for domestic properties

18 Dec 2017

Overview

Daylight has been used for centuries as the primary source of light in structures. Our most natural resource has been available now for over 4 billion years and we are still striving to find ways of letting it get into our houses efficiently.

Introducing the ‘sky component’

The first known guidelines were developed over 2,000 years ago by a man named Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. The work acknowledged the importance of daylight in design and provided guidance on how to measure the amount of light coming into a room. He proposed a simple test that consisted of stretching a line from the top of a wall that appears to obstruct light, to the point at which the light enters the proposed building.

If there is a considerable amount of open sky above that line, then it is deemed that the daylight will not be obstructed. This is referred to as the ‘sky component’ and is still used in modern daylight calculation methods.

We spend over 90% of our lives indoors and the health benefits of natural light and ventilation have been a proven source of wellbeing for centuries. The history of using glass in our domestic properties has been an interesting journey but, in truth, it only started to become fascinating in the 1800s. In the UK at least, we had started to develop the ability to create larger panes of glass. A prime example of this was the Great Exhibition. During the Georgian and Victorian ages, we certainly saw larger windows and doors making their way into architecture. Obviously with energy efficiency, that had to change for a while, but we are now in a position to create architecturally stunning, large glass structures that allow natural light to flood a house without impacting on a property’s energy performance.

Skylights: a new way of introducing daylight to homes

There are many ways to introduce daylight into a house; windows and doors have obviously been a staple of modern architecture and wellbeing for some years. However, skylights are relatively new to domestic environments. Following significant research on the benefits of natural light in the home, it seems odd that this would be the case.

In the main, flat roof and skylight technology historically deterred homeowners from specifying skylights for their properties. However, as technologies have improved in terms of reliability and ease of operation, they have become an almost essential part of domestic property design. At Sunsquare, we have embraced the technological side of things and now create stunning skylights for homes throughout the world.

Enjoying a feeling of light, space and a sense of time are just some of the reasons people have given for enjoying natural daylight at home. Sunsquare has made this available to all with our safe, thermally efficient and aesthetically pleasing flat roof skylights.

Furthermore, we have never been afraid to push the design boundaries as our bespoke glass box design testifies at Rose Valley. The glass box provides a much-needed link between the ground floor and first floor living areas, whilst maintaining excellent levels of energy efficiency and privacy for the client.

For more information on how Sunsquare can design and manufacture a flat roof skylight that’s truly fit for purpose for your household, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly and experienced sales team today.

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